The present invention relates generally to a casing article and, more particularly, to a cored casing article and to an apparatus and method adapted to utilize the article in a stuffing operation.
Tubular casing articles and apparatus, as may be used for the high speed automatic production of encased food products, such as frankfurters or the like, are well known in the art. Such automatic high speed production requires that relatively long lengths of casing be supplied to the stuffing apparatus. It is conventional to supply the casing in the form of a compacted shirred tubular casing article called a "shirred stick". It is not uncommon for a shirred stick measuring 20 inches in length to contain upwards of 160 feet of casing. The sticks, which are coherent and resistant to breakage, can be handled by the mechanical loading apparatus of a stuffing machine. Conventional apparatus for stuffing and linking this entire casing length in less than a minute is also known in the art, one such apparatus being described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,668.
The present invention concerns an improved stuffing apparatus as may utilize a casing article of the type wherein the shirred casing is predisposed on a disposable stuffing tube, the apparatus in particular being of the general type as disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,668.
The casing article as used on the apparatus of the present invention includes a substantially rigid tubular core member disposed within the bore of the casing stick. It is sufficient for the purposes of the present invention that the inner periphery of the casing stick be in contact about the outer periphery of the tubular core, preferably over the full length of the casing stick. Moreover, this contact should be sufficient to provide a resistance to relative motion between the core and the casing stick. The core also should have as thin a wall as possible, yet be able to withstand the stresses generated by the casing being in contact about the core. In other words, the tubular core must not be so thin walled or weak as to buckle under the casing generated stresses. The core should also be strong enough to withstand the internal pressures exerted on the core by the food emulsion passing through the core during the stuffing operation.
Various advantages are exhibited by cored casing articles. For example a cored casing article has a greater coherency, that is, a greater ability of the stick to resist breaking than a conventional shirred casing stick which does not have a tubular core member. Resistance to breaking renders the casing article better able to resist the rigors of manual handling and of automatic handling by the stuffing apparatus.
Another advantage is that, due to the physical support offered by the core, a cored article can contain a greater length of casing than an uncored article. This is a very desirable feature in automatic stuffing operations since greater casing lengths translate to faster production and less machine downtime while a new casing article is being loaded into stuffing position.
Also, with longer casings there are fewer casing ends to deal with. This reduces labor involved in both tying stuffed casing lengths together for subsequent processing, and in removing food product from any malformed end links. With fewer ends to tie, the amount of waste casing is reduced, the amount of food product rework is reduced and, in general, the yield is increased by the resulting increase in the number of stuffed links produced per shirred stick.
In any event, for purposes of the present invention, the shirred stick on the core preferably is in contact about the outer periphery of the core over substantially the full length of the stick. This contact is sufficient to provide a resistance to relative motion between the core and shirred stick so the stick tends to stay fixed to the core as casing is deshirred from the stick.
Another advantage of cored casing articles is that the core itself can function as a stuffing horn and in particular as a disposable, one-use stuffing horn. Here, the core would have an aft end attachable to the discharge of the stuffing machine and a fore end from which the food product exits for introduction into the casing.
Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with components which interface with a cored casing article to permit the core to function as the stuffing horn of the apparatus, and in particular, as a rotating stuffing horn. In order for the stuffing machine to stuff these casing articles in a continuous and automatic stuffing operation, the stuffing machine must repeatedly and reliably perform a sequence of functions. For example, the machine must put the tubular core of the casing article into communication with the discharge outlet of the stuffing machine. The drive of the machine must then engage and rotate the article about its longitudinal axis during the stuffing of a food emulsion through the core. A seal must be effected between the discharge outlet and the tubular core to prevent leakage of food emulsion during the stuffing operation, and the axial loading on the tubular core caused by the stuffing pressure must be resisted. Finally, the drive must be disengaged from the tubular core and the core disconnected from the discharge outlet when the casing has been stuffed. Thus, one aspect of the invention involves providing a rotary drive means which is adapted to rotatably engage and drive the core, take up the thrust load on the core caused by the emulsion pressure, and provide a static seal between the core and the stuffing machine discharge.
These and other advantages, objects, and characterizing features of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following detailed description thereof, which is directed to an improved automatic stuffing machine, having an improved rotating drive chuck assembly, clutch and discharge configuration for the machine to permit utilization of the cored article.